nude lips

12 Cult Classic Lipstick Shades Every Beauty Lover Must Know

In beauty, there is no category more timeless—or quintessential—than lipstick. As an enduring symbol of power and femininity, the transformative swipe of classic lipstick is never to be underestimated. Over the decades, brands have met perennial demand with a dizzying menagerie of offerings, leaving no color, undertone, or finish unturned. But despite the scale of options, there are those strikingly universal shades that women keep coming back to. From true reds to nuanced nudes, here, a dozen classic lipstick shades with that certain something loyal masses can’t get enough of.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Fire & Ice

In 1952, Revlon launched its Fire & Ice ad campaign, starring Vogue cover girl Dorian Leigh, and caused a stir with its kitschy quiz supplement designed to decide if one was, in fact, suited to this tried-and-true bold red.

Buy at ULTA $9

NARS Lipstick in Dolce Vita

Inspired by the 1960 Italian drama La Dolce Vita starring Anita Ekberg, this dusty rose strikes a sophisticated balance between retro and modern pale-pink lips.

Buy at Sephora $26

Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey

Making a hyper-gothic wash of color both flattering and accessible, the secret behind this deep berry hue is its sheer, glossy, and balm-like texture.

Buy at ULTA $20

Dior Rouge Lipstick in 999 Matte

In 1953, Christian Dior created two “perfect red” lipsticks for the runway, “9” and “99,” and more than half a century later, this rich red is the gorgeous amalgam of the two.

Buy at Saks Fifth Avenue $50

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk

A single slick of this matte nude pink will enhance the natural color of your lips to bespoke effect, while a few more layers builds to a more dramatic true mauve for a dose of understated glamour.

Buy on their website $34

MAC Red Lipstick in Ruby Woo

The coolest of cool reds, this iconic shade is flattering on virtually everyone, with subtle blue undertones that brighten teeth and the whites of the eyes in one fell swoop.

Buy at ULTA $19

L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Lipcolour in Fairest Nude

With its unmistakable vanilla scent, this creamy pinky-taupe nude goes on sheer and supplies a boost of radiance to a wide variety of complexions.

Buy at ULTA $11

Tom Ford Lip Color in Bruised Plum

This shade is a darker-than-dark plum in the tube, but when you swipe on the shiny, semi-opaque formula, it reads more like a juicy deep fuchsia that you can layer on to your desired opacity.

Buy at Net-A-Porter $60

NARS Lipstick in Schiap

Named after Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who made shocking pink her signature color, this electric fuchsia shade is just as head-swiveling as her Surrealist designs.

Buy at ULTA $26

Giorgio Armani Beauty Rouge D’Armani Matte Lipstick in 400

Known as the “Armani Red,” this rich, highly pigmented crimson strikes a perfect balance between cool and warm, and is a definitive classic for the Old Hollywood look.

Buy at Saks Fifth Avenue $50

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture in #19 Fuchsia Pink

In 1979, Yves Saint Laurent unveiled Rouge Pur Lipstick No. 19, a blue-toned dark fuchsia that still remains a best-seller thanks to its vivid pink pigments and stunning satin finish.

Buy at Saks Fifth Avenue $50

Bobbi Brown Lip Color in Brown

It was in 1991 that makeup legend Bobbi Brown’s debut line of lipsticks hit the Bergdorf Goodman counters. Of all the shades, her Lip Color in pink-tinged Brown caused the biggest sensation, helping to usher in the ’90s nude lip look still being referenced today.

Buy at Macy’s $29

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✨ Model: Kseniya Kapustsina (Yours truly)


Photographer: Patricia Stables


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Model: Chanel Hartwig

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Exactly How Margot Robbie’s MakeUp Artist Transformed Her Into A Jane Birkin-Inspired ’70s “Beach Babe”

The tanned skin, the freckles, the sandy nude lip, the wispy golden bangs framing azure-blue eyes… Margot Robbie on British Vogue’s August cover is the perfect example of what every single one of us wants to look like when the sun hits. The Australian star is, to put it simply, the definition of summer beauty goals.

Welcome to Artist Spotlight #60 series on my blog.

Robbie is a golden girl by nature, but it was make-up artist Pati Dubroff (who works with the actor often), who amped things up with a touch of the ’70s for the pages of Vogue. “Invoking the ’70s was a big part of the inspiration for the look,” she tells Vogue over the phone from Los Angeles. “Margot had recently cut her bangs and only really shown them [in public] once before, at the Oscars, so it was really fun for us to take that new hair and mould her character [for the shoot] through that.”

The star’s new fringe is reminiscent of a certain French icon, Jane Birkin, whose hair – specifically the bangs – has spawned countless imitations over the decades. The chanteuse’s oft-emulated ’70s look was a key reference on the moodboard. “Margot is an incredible chameleon and has an openness to play,” Dubroff says, explaining how the duo approach the different looks they create. “Her basic day-to-day look is clean and fresh, with a slight wash of a tone on the eye or lip. She’s such a natural beauty that it’s about not overcomplicating or taking that away. But she does love to transform. This time: into a ’70s beach babe.”

From how Dubroff applied Robbie’s bronzer, to the technique she used to create realistic-looking freckles, here the A-list makeup artist shares exactly how she created the sun-kissed ’70s look.

Unbeatable bronzer

“Margot had a tan at the time so I just really amped it up. I used cream bronzer and buffed and buffed it in until it laid seamlessly on the skin. To recreate the look it’s really about blending and not relying on powdery products – instead, use cream matte products. I also think that using a flat buffing brush is key. Also, look out for bronzing face products that come out as a gel but deliver a matte finish – they’re great too.”

Chanel Health Glow Bronzing Cream, £38.70, available at Boots.com.

Artis Brush Elite Gold Palm Brush, £75, available at Net-a-porter.com.

Sensai Bronzing Gel, £31, available at Harrods.com. 

Believable freckles

“I added a lot of freckles to Margot’s skin. I actually went on YouTube and learned how to create them in the days before the shoot. I watched a whole bunch of videos featuring different people who were doing their own freckle techniques… it’s a perfect lesson that you’re never too old or experienced to learn something new. The technique that best resonated with me was to use a bobby pin and dip it into a brow product. I used a palette that had both creams and powders in it, and first put the tip of the bobby pin into a cream medium-brown shade and applied to her skin. Then I put it into the brow powder and topped each freckle with that. To finish I gently swirled a clean brush over the skin to take off the top layer of residue. Brow products – but in a different way!”

Benefit Brow Zings Pro Palette, £28.48, available at Lookfantastic.com.

Retro lashes

“As a nod to the early ’70s, it was all about mascara on the upper and lower lashes, not too perfect and a little bit clumpy. When you see pictures of Jane Birkin in that period, her lashes are clumpy on the top and bottom, so we did both. We wanted to create a feeling that she’d done it herself and had had her mascara on for a couple of days. I didn’t purposefully squeeze them together or anything, but just let the layers of mascara do that naturally. If you’re trying it at home, I’d recommend building your mascara up and not being afraid to put more on the bottom lashes.”

L’Oréal Paris Volume Million Lashes Mascara, £10.99, available at Lookfantastic.com.

Summer lips

“After a good coating of mascara, I paled out her lip to fit with the ’70s theme. It was a time when make-up was all about matte textures – not full-on matte or flat – but things weren’t too shimmery. That happened later in the ’80s. So I incorporated lots of matte formulas into the look in general.”

Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Luminous Matte Lip Colour – Nuance, £27.90, available at Boots.com.

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Run & Camouflage

Model: Teanna Luck (@kculannaet)

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Khaki Kraze

Model: Kaleigh Elizabeth Park
Photographer: Jeff Woodward

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Where There’s Smoke – There’s Fire

Model: Kaleigh Elizabeth Park

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with Envy

Sultry, green party glam on gorgeous Alena!

Products:
– Dior Backstage primer, Diorshow mascara
– Chanel Les Beiges foundation
– NARS Radiant Creamy concealer
– KVD Vegan Beauty loose setting powder
– Make Up For Ever sculpting powder, Mist & Fix setting spray
– Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer
– Milani Luminoso baked blush
– NYX Cosmetics Epic Ink liquid eyeliner, Wonder contour stick, Powder Contour Palette, Strobe of Genius highlighter palette, Suede nude lipliner
– Revolution the Emily Edit eyeshadow palette
– MAC Cosmetics Soft Ocre paintpot, Honeylove matte lipstick, Smoulder Eye Kohl eyeliner
– Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow pomade in Soft Brown
– Ardell Wispies lashes.

(Disclaimer: I do have Alena’s consent to post her images on designated websites including Facebook, Instagram, WordPress, and use in my digital portfolio.)